Missing and Presumed Dead Chapter one
by ChristyK
Summary: A simple case turns into a fight to save a life
1. Chapter 1

Not sure if anyone will like this one but here goes….

Missing and Presumed Dead

Neal smiled at Peter as they left the hotel lobby and walked out onto the street.

"Go ahead and say it."

"Say what?" Peter tried to keep the smile from his face.

"That I'm good, that you wouldn't have been able to break the case without me."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Well okay, you might have been able to break it but it would have taken you a lot longer."

"Okay Neal, you're good."

Neal's smile grew even wider.

"I am, aren't I?" He said proud of himself.

For the last two weeks they had been trying to break up an extortion ring which ended up leading them to two rival hotel owners, one of which, at least the word on the street was, had hired someone to kill the other before he could open his hotel. They had arrested the man who they thought had put out the contract and now they were on their way to take the other one into protective custody until the hit man could be located.

**Later**

Peter and Neal headed into the newly built hotel and up to the owner's penthouse suite. The hotel was scheduled to open within the next few weeks and right now only a handful of construction workers were putting the last minute touches on some of the hotel's interior. The penthouse had been finished weeks before and then occupied by Adam Randolph the owner.

"Mr. Randolph…." Peter said as he knocked on Randolph's door then held his badge up to the peek hole in the door. "F.B.I. , we have Clinton in custody."

Randolph looked through the peek hole then opened the door.

"It's about time you take that son of a bitch down. He's been after me ever since I had the idea of building this hotel."

"Well he won't be after you anymore, but we do need to take you into protective custody, we have reason to believe he hired someone to stop the hotel from opening."

"Hired someone?...I never knew he'd take it that far."

"Well apparently he did."

"So where are you taking me?"

"First to headquarters to fill out some forms, then to a safehouse."

"What if he comes after me there?"

"Don't worry Mr. Randolph you'll be well protected, we'll have an agent outside and you'll also have one inside with you….He's not going to get to you."

"For how long?... My hotel opens in a few weeks and I have plans I need to finalize."

"For as long as it takes to find him, or until we can convince Mr. Clinton to call off the hit."

"And what if he won't?"

"Then we'll find some way to draw him out, but right now you need to come with us."

"What about my clothes and things I'll need?"

"We'll send someone to collect anything you want."

It was obvious Randolph wasn't happy, he had business to attend to and he wasn't happy being pulled away from it.

"I have no say in this?"

"No." Peter said simply.

Randolph angrily grabbed a suitcase off his desk and reluctantly left with them.

**F.B.I. Headquarters**

It was getting dark as they arrived back at headquarters. They had just entered Peter's office when Neal noticed his cuff link was missing.

"Damn it!" He said as he looked at the floor hoping it had just fallen off and he'd be able to find it.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"I lost a cuff link."

"Sorry, but…."

"Kate gave it to me." Neal interrupted him. "Peter, I got to find it, it's the last thing she gave me before…."

"Neal we're been all over the city, the odds of finding it….."

"I'm pretty sure I lost it at Randolph's hotel. I know I had it when I walked into the building."

"Is there anyone we can call?" Peter asked Randolph.

"The work crew is probably gone by now…. there's no one in the building. Maybe tomorrow I can…."

"Peter…."Neal looked pleadingly at Peter. "I got to find it."

Peter knew how much Neal had loved Kate and could see by his face how upset he was.

"Okay Neal."

Peter looked over at Randolph.

"Do you mind if he checks the building?"

"Um….well….uh…." Randolph stammered, it was obvious he wasn't pleased with the thought of someone going into his building.

"He'll be in and out in a few minutes." Peter said then added. "Don't worry, you can trust him."

"I guess it will be okay." Randolph handed Peter the key to the front door which Peter then handed to Neal who immediately started heading toward the door anxious to find his cuff link.

"Neal." Peter called to him. "Make sure you lock yourself in, and make sure you lock it when you leave." All they needed was a lawsuit if anything turned up stolen. Peter trusted Neal and knew he wouldn't take anything but he also knew Hughes and Randolph both would have their butts if anything happened.

Neal raised his hand to show that he heard him but then left without another word.

**Randolph's Hotel**

Neal unlocked the door then locked it behind him. He then began retracing his steps.

"Where are you?" He said as he looked at the floors and under the tables. His heart was pounding in his chest, the cuff links were the last thing Kate had given him and he'd be lost without them.

He took the elevator to the penthouse and searched the area where he had stood…nothing. He headed back down the elevator and into the lobby, he figured he must have lost it somewhere in the lobby, there were all kinds of places it could have fallen behind. He arrived in the lobby just in time to see a man leaving the building and locking it behind him.

"Hey!" He shouted to the man, he knew no one was supposed to be in the building. The man turned and looked at him and Neal could see the shocked look on his face when he saw him, the man didn't stop but kept on walking. Neal watched him for a few seconds then shrugged it off figuring it was probably just one of the workmen leaving late. He went back to looking for his missing cuff link. While searching the lobby he noticed rectangular shaped objects with a cluster of wires sticking out from them near some of the support beams in the lobby. He hadn't noticed them before.

"What the heck…." He thought it was odd and went over to take a look. "Oh my God." He said softly to himself.

The wires were attached to what looked like some kind of plastic explosives. His first instinct was to warn Peter. He took out his phone as he walked toward the exit.

**F.B.I. Headquarters**

Peter picked up his ringing phone.

"Yeah."

"Peter…we've got a problem."

Peter could hear the tension in Neal's voice.

"What's going on Neal?"

"The hotel's wired. I think someone wants to bring the building down."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the lobby, I was just leaving."

"Get the hell out of there and get out now!"

The next thing Peter heard was the sound of an explosion and then the phone went dead.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you like is so far.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter two

"Neal!...Neal!" Peter screamed into the phone. He ran to the top of the stairs and shouted down to the agents below. "Does anyone have any information on something happening down at Third and Walnut, at the new hotel being built there?"

"I'm on the phone now with a man who said he heard an explosion and saw the hotel collapse. Hughes is sending a team down there now. "

"Oh God no." Peter closed his eyes. Neal had said he was leaving the hotel, had he gotten out in time? He had to get down there and find out. He found an agent to stay with Randolph then left the building, jumped in his car, and sped toward the site.

**Third and Walnut**

The first explosion had thrown Neal into a stairwell leading to the basement. He had hit the wall hard then tumbled down the steps. The next explosion brought one side of the hotel completely down, the next brought most of the remaining side down. Neal felt himself falling through the open air as pipes and bricks went sailing past him like missiles. He grunted in pain as some of them hit him then screamed as a thin pole shot right through his side. A brick slammed into his head cutting him deeply and rendering him semi conscious, which he was almost glad for since it took away some of his pain. Finally he landed with a jolt, and the last thing he saw before passing out were hunks of cement and dust falling on top of him.

**Outside**

When Peter arrived the streets were already covered with emergency vehicles. He parked in the middle of the street and ran toward the collapsed hotel showing his badge to anyone who tried to stop him.

He finally reached the entrance and stood there in shock, only a few hours ago he had been in the building and now it was a mass of twisted metal and concrete.

"Neal!" He looked around him hoping he'd see the young con man in the crowd, when he didn't, he shouted into the building. "Neal!... Neal can you hear me?"

"The building is empty." A police officer said as he approached him. "We're lucky the workers left early and the only occupant, , is also out of the building."

"My friend is in there." Peter showed the officer his badge and briefly explained what had happened. "We got to find him."

The officer looked back at the building.

"That whole building is unstable, we can't even begin a search till we have some contractors brace it and tell us it's safe to enter."

"He's my responsibility; I got to get him out of there."

"When's the last you heard from him?"

"About twenty minutes ago."

"And he was okay?"

"Yeah, until the explosion, then the phone went dead."

"Half the hotel is down and the other half could go at any time. I'm sorry, but unless your friend was lucky and made it out or to the basement I wouldn't hold out much hope for him." When the officer saw the look on Peter's face he put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I really am."

"My friend_ is_ lucky, and if anyone could survive this it would be Neal."

**Stairwell**

Neal moaned as he woke up, every inch of his body hurt. The stairwell was filled with dust and smoke and he could barely breathe. He began to cough and each cough shot an agonizing pain through his injured side. He tried to move but couldn't, his left leg was pinned under a slab of concrete. He tried not to panic, he had always had a slight case of claustrophobia and being trapped and unable to move he knew could bring on a full blow panic attack and that wouldn't get him anywhere but dead. He tried to think clearly, he had to find a way out of there.

"Anyone out there?" He shouted up the stairs and was met only by silence. "Help! I'm down here!" He picked up a brick and banged it against a pipe sticking out of the wall. He had to make them hear him, but the vibration of the pipe sent even more concrete and dust down on top of him. "Oh God no… please not like this." Neal now knew what it must have felt like to be trapped in the World Trade Center on that horrible day. He now knew what it felt like to know you were probably going to die.

**Outside**

"Did you hear that?" Peter asked the officer when he thought he heard tapping sounds. It was the first signs of hope he had but they were immediately crushed by the officer.

"It's just the building settling, it's not him….I'm sorry but if your friend is in there you have to realize that he's more than likely dead."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter three

Peter stood looking at the building as the officer's words sunk in. Neal was more than likely dead. Looking at the crumbled mess in front of him Peter began to think that the officer might be right. How could anyone survive something like this? Neal had been in the lobby when he had called him and was making his way out of the building when the explosion occurred so that would mean the entire building came down on top of him. He had to face reality, Neal, his partner and friend, was probably dead…..but then Peter remembered something else the officer had said. The only way to survive the explosion was to have left the building or to be in the basement. He tried to grab onto any small piece of hope he could, maybe Neal had left the building, maybe he had just missed him out on the street, or maybe Neal had already made his way back to F.B.I. Headquarters. Maybe his phone wasn't damaged in the explosion; maybe the battery had just died. … There were all kinds of possibilities. He wasn't going to think Neal was dead until he had proof. He took out his phone and called Diana.

"Any word from Neal?"

"No, why?"

"You heard about the hotel coming down?"

"Yeah, they said it was brought down by explosives, why?"

"Neal was in it... Or at least I think he was in it. He went back to it after we brought Randolph in….He lost a cuff link….one that Kate had given him…Damn it I never should have left him go back there." Guilt began to consume him, if he hadn't let Neal go back to the building he would be fine.

"You had no idea this was going to happen." She knew how her boss felt about Neal and could imagine how he must be feeling now. She liked Neal too, they all did. There was just something special about him that made you smile even when you were mad at him. "Maybe he wasn't in the building, maybe he got out." She wanted to give him a little hope, something to hold onto.

"I hope so…. If he calls or shows up call me right away." Peter rubbed his forehead trying to think, his mind was racing in all directions. "And Diana….check on Neal's anklet….maybe we can locate him that way."

"I will….and Peter…."

"Yeah."

"Do you want Jones or me to come down there?" She hated the thought of Peter being alone. If they found Neal's body he'd be shattered.

"I'm okay." He knew what she was thinking. "But there is something you could do. You could have anyone there that isn't involved in a case get out on the streets and look for him." Peter could only hope that Neal had made it out of the building…..Maybe he had suffered a concussion and was wandering around the streets dazed and confused …anything was possible. He didn't want to think of the alternative, that he was crushed under the building somewhere dead or dying.

"I will."

Peter hung up the phone but a few minutes later Diana called him back.

"Peter, I checked on Neal's anklet….nothing is showing up on the screen….I'm sorry Peter."

**Stairwell**

Neal couldn't believe someone could hurt this bad. He felt like every part of him was either bleeding or bruised, maybe even broken. If only his leg wasn't trapped, maybe then he could try to climb out of the hole he was in, but it was and he wasn't going anywhere. He could feel blood dripping down his face and into his eyes and wiped it away with the back of his hand. What was going to happen he wondered? Was he going to die down here? Would he die before someone found him? Maybe they weren't even looking for him; maybe they thought he was already dead. His only hope was that Peter knew he was there, but Peter couldn't move mountains and that's what it looked like it was going to take to get him out of there.

**The next day**

Peter had watched as the inspectors carefully checked out the building and decided that the entire building was unsafe and had to come down. He was determined to stop them; there was no way he was going to let them take down the building, not with Neal maybe still in it.

Peter walked over to the man in charge and flashed his badge.

"I have reason to believe there's a man trapped in the building."

"You're certain of it or just think there might be? I was told the building was empty when the explosion occurred."

"I had a call from him from inside the building right before it came down. I haven't heard from him since."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do … but it doesn't look good."

"What can you do?"

"We have a robot with a light, camera and a microphone attached to it that we use in cases like this. We'll send it in and see what we can find." The man looked at Peter then added. "I've been at sites like this before and I don't want you to get your hopes up. It looks bad and the odds of finding anyone still alive in there are very slim."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter four

Ryan Mitchell watched from the street as the emergency workers made plans to send the robot into the building. He knew no one was suppose to be in the building and his plan to take it down was going smoothly until someone showed up unexpectantly, and that person had seen his face. The person had to almost certainly be dead, but what if he wasn't? Mitchell had a police record and knew that his mug shot was in the police computer. If the man pointed him out he'd be going away for a long time. All he could do now was wait to see what the robot found and if it found the man alive he'd have to find some way to get to him before they did.

Peter watched as they readied the robot and sent it into the building. He and others watched on a small screen what the camera attached to the robot could see. The robot looked almost like a little tank as it traveled over the piles of debris, but all it was recording was dust and slabs of metal and concrete. Ever so often the robot would stop and the man who was controlling it would listen through his high powered ear phones for any signs of life.

"Come on Neal make a sound." Peter willed his friend as he watched the screen. "We'll get you out of there….Just make a sound so we know where you are."

"We've got some movement over to the right!" Brian Becker, the man controlling the robot exclaimed.

"I knew it!" Peter allowed himself a smile. "It has to be him….He's the only one in there."

They maneuvered the robot closer to the movement and there was moan of disappointment, it was only the arm of a broken statue moving in the slight breeze.

"Sorry." Becker looked up at Peter who turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose to try and stop the pounding in his head. He was exhausted but he wasn't going anywhere, he had to stay, he had to stay till they found Neal. But…what if they did find him and he wasn't alive? What if the robot's camera captures a broken and bloody body? What if Neal was already dead? He didn't want his last vision of Neal to be of his crushed body. He wanted to remember him as he was a few hours ago, laughing and joking around. He tried to push the thought out of his head.

And then…finally.

"We got him!" Becker shouted. He had sent the robot down two stairwells but had to bring it back up when it could go no further. Finally he found a crevice in the concrete and lowered it again. On the third stairwell he managed to slip the robot between two hunks of concrete and saw Neal's crumbled body lying amongst the debris.

Peter spun around terrified of what he might see.

"Is he alive?" Peter asked as he looked at the screen his heart pounding in his chest. Neal was covered in blood and not moving. "Can I talk to him?" Peter voice cracked with emotion, what if Neal was dead, what if they had been too late?

"Sure." Becker handed Peter the microphone.

"Neal….Neal can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Neal its Peter, can you hear me?... We're going to get you out but I need you to let me know you're alive." Peter kept his eyes glued on Neal's body. Finally he heard a weak moan. "Neal! Come on buddy wake up!"

"P….Peter?" Neal wasn't sure if he was really hearing Peter or if he was just imagining it.

"Yeah Neal, It's me." Peter's face broke into a big smile and the people around him started clapping.

"Hey…." Neal looked up into the camera and gave a small smile, he felt like he was hearing a voice from heaven.

"Find out how badly he's hurt." Becker told Peter. "See if he can tell you anything."

"Neal….Do you know how bad you're hurt?"

"I got a….pipe in my side…..and my….my leg is trapped…under some concrete." It was hard for him to talk, every movement, even just talking, brought pain to him.

"Ask him some questions…..We need to know if he's thinking clearly." Becker could see the dried blood all over Neal's face and also could see the purple lump on the side of his head. He knew he must have at least a concussion and hoped he didn't have a fractured skull instead.

"Neal, you need to answer a few questions. I need the names of the people who work with me, and I need the name of your friend…the little guy."

"I…..I can't think…its right there but…..I can't think straight….I can see their faces…but I can't think of their names." As hard as he tried only the faces would come to him, but their names were gone.

Peter's face was etched with worry.

"Come on buddy think."

"S….S…Sorry."

"It's okay Neal, just rest." Peter looked over at Becker worried.

"More than likely he has a head injury besides his other injuries." Becker told Peter. "If it's just a slight concussion his memory should return in time, but if it's something worse….we'll just have to wait and see."

"You are going to get him out of there aren't you?"

"We're sure as hell going to try."

Mitchell couldn't believe the man in the building had survived. Now he had to find some way to make sure he never made it out of the building alive.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter five

Suddenly Neal remembered something that Peter needed to know.

"Peter….Peter someone was here… someone was in the building."

"Someone was here when you came back to the building?"

"Yeah, I saw him leave."

Peter looked at Becker.

"The building was suppose to be empty."

"Maybe it was just a workman leaving late."

"Or maybe it was the guy who planted the explosives." Peter suggested.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Peter asked Neal.

"Dark hair…..about six two….pockmarked face….."

"If you saw him again could you identify him?"

"Yeah." Neal tried to shift his position which only caused him more pain. "Oh God…" he moaned as he shut his eyes and put his head on the step behind him. He couldn't even feel his leg anymore but the pipe in his side sent waves of pain shooting through his body.

"Neal?...Neal?" A cold chill shot through Peter as he watched the scene in front of him. Had Neal passed out or had something worse happened? "Neal answer me!"

Neal raised his hand slightly indicating that he still heard him but right now couldn't speak.

"Oh thank God." Peter let out the breath he was holding.

Becker backed the robot up slightly.

"I'm just going to take a look around and see what we're dealing with."

As the robot backed up Peter got a good look at Neal and could clearly see the thin pole that protruded from his side, and the hunk of cement that trapped his leg. He covered the microphone with his hand so Neal couldn't hear him.

"How are we going to get him out of there?"

"Once the building is deemed secure we'll send some EMTs and firemen in…. they'll stabilize him and cut him free."

"What happens till then?"

"We'll use the robot to take some pain medication to him, and then we'll try to keep him talking, we need to keep him awake. If your friend has a head injury, which from the look of it I'm pretty sure he has, we can't let him fall asleep. If he does…he might never wake up."

Peter looked back at the screen.

"Neal! Come on buddy I need you to stay awake for me." Peter watched as Neal slowly opened his eyes. "Good boy, just stay with me."

"Peter."

"Yeah Neal."

"Am I going to die in here?"

"No,no,no,no,no…" Peter tried to reassure him. "We're all working on getting you out, it'll just take a little time, but we're going to do it."

Becker looked over at Peter.

"We're going to have to remove the robot so we can send it back in with some pain medication. Ask him if he needs anything else."

"Neal we need to remove the robot….We're going to…."

"Why?" Neal interrupted him; the thought of being all alone with no lifeline to the outside world terrified him. The robot by his side gave him comfort, even though it was just a machine. "Why must you remove it?"

"We're going to send you some pain medication. We need the robot in order to do that. Do you need anything else?"

"Water… and a blanket….I'm so cold."

"I'm sorry but we can't give him water." Becker told Peter. "We don't know if he has any internal injuries and water could make him throw up and do more damage than good. The pain medication is mild and will dissolve in his mouth without water. It's the best we can do till we can check him out."

"Neal we're going to get you a blanket but we can't give you water till we get you checked out."

"How long till they get me out?" Neal needed something to hold onto, he needed to know how much longer he was going to be imprisoned.

"I can't say for sure, but we're going to get to you as soon as we can."

"Tell them to hurry Peter….please….." Neal tried to stay strong but his voice cracked with the plea…..the thought of being alone and still trapped terrified him.

"I will Neal, and I'll be right here with you the whole time, I'm not going anywhere, you won't be alone." If Peter could have crawled through the building to be with Neal he would have. He could feel Neal's fear, fear of not getting out, fear of the building collapsing even more, and fear of dying alone.

He tried to get his concern for Neal out of his mind for a moment, he needed to contact Jones and tell him what Neal had told him about the man in the building. Jones could then look on the F.B.I. database and see if he could track down anyone with that description who had handled explosives.

**Later**

Construction workers worked throughout the day bracing the part of the building that Neal was entombed under. Becker sent the robot loaded with pain medication and a blanket back into the building then kept the robot by Neal's side so he'd have light and some connection to the outside world, and to Peter who talked to him constantly trying to keep him awake. Peter could tell that Neal was growing weaker by the hour, probably from blood loss. Off and on he'd pass out but woke up when Peter called out to him. Peter had no idea how long he would be able to keep Neal awake, it was getting harder and harder to keep him conscious. Then finally early the next morning the building, though still risky, was deemed safe enough to enter. The fire chief in charge wasn't about to pick the people to enter the building, instead he asked for volunteers. Everyone knew there was always the chance that the building could shift and collapse on top of them. A few hands went up then slowly more and more, this was their job, everyday they risked their lives to save lives and they weren't going to stop now.

Mitchell watched from across the street. He allowed himself a small smile….he now knew how he was going to get in. He casually walked up to a fire truck, and then when no one was looking he lifted a coat and a helmet. He took some dirt and smudged the name on the jacket and the number on the helmet. With all the commotion going on he figured no one would even notice or question him. He then mingled with the men who had volunteered to go in. He smiled as he felt the sharp knife in his pocket. The man inside wasn't going to make it out of the building alive.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter six

Neal had been trapped for almost three days and now was beginning to hallucinate. For the last two hours they listened outside while Neal talked to Kate, or what he thought was Kate. Diana had come down to the site while Jones stayed at the office doing a computer search for the man that Neal had described. Diana finally had managed to force an exhausted Peter into getting a few hours of sleep. While Peter slept she talked to Neal trying to keep him alert, but it had become impossible to keep him awake any longer. The doctor told her that the threat of a concussion had lessened and that they could let him sleep off and on as long as they woke him up every hour, that way the time would pass more quickly for him. Peter suddenly popped up wide awake, he was in the midst of a horrifying nightmare in which Neal was slowly becoming crushed by the weight of the building and there was nothing he could do but listen to him scream. He took a deep breath relieved that it had only been a dream. When Diana saw that he was awake she walked over to him.

"Peter, Neal's starting to lose it. He thinks Kate is with him."

Peter quickly walked over to the microphone.

"Neal!...Neal talk to me buddy."

"Peter?"

"Yeah it's me. Neal we're coming in to get you." He told him as he watched the firemen and EMTs get ready to enter the building.

"Peter ….Kate's here. She looks so beautiful….." Neal smiled as he looked at the apparition. "She wants me to go with her…I think I'm going to."

"Neal you need to stay with me, you don't want to go with her. You need to stay right where you are, we're coming for you." Peter was worried, he knew if Neal thought he was going to be with Kate he might just give up.

"But I want to be with her…. I've always wanted to be with her and now she's here and she wants me to follow her."

"Neal she's not real. … I know you're thirsty, I know you're hurting, but you need to concentrate. … Kate is not real, but I am. You need to let go of her."

Neal watched as Kate slowly began to vanish.

"Kate no!...Please don't go!" He tried to reach for her but his hand only went through empty air.

Peter watched through the monitor and his heart ached for Neal. He knew Neal had loved Kate and seeing him lose her again tore a hole in his heart.

"Neal…..Neal….." Peter tried to get his attention.

"She's gone Peter."

"I'm sorry Neal."

"Are you?" Neal looked into the camera and Peter could see tears in his eyes. "You never liked Kate…..You never wanted me to be with her….Well now she's gone and….."

"Neal….Kate's been gone for awhile. She wasn't there…..she wasn't just with you…she's dead Neal." Peter could see Neal's face glistening in the camera light and could tell that he was running a fever which was probably causing the hallucination. "We're coming to get you Neal. We're going to get to you soon, I promise." Peter said as he watched the men enter the building. "They should get to you in a few minutes…We're going to get you out; it won't be too long now." Hopefully he wasn't lying, he knew it could still be days till they could free Neal but he wasn't about to tell him that. He knew they'd have to remove the concrete that was trapping his leg plus cut off the ends of the pipe that was sticking through his side so they could get him out of the area he was trapped in, and that could take hours, or even days. They'd have to work carefully or they could bring the whole building down on top of themselves. Between the lack of water and the blood loss Peter knew they could still lose him even if they got him out today.

**Inside the building**

The firemen and EMTs carefully walked into the building but immediately had to get down on their hands and knees and crawl the rest of the way through the tons of debris. They knew where Neal was because of the robot's GPS chip, now it was just a matter of getting to him. After three hours of moving hunks of cement and making a path to Neal they finally reached him. The firemen stood back while an EMT made his way over to him.

"Neal?...Neal?" Rodger the EMT called out to him. He hoped they weren't already too late. Neal lay on his back motionless, his face and body covered in blood, bruises, and dust. "Hey buddy we need you to wake up for us. We're here to get you out."

Peter and Diana watched from outside both of them unknowingly holding their breaths hoping and praying Neal would respond to the man, but there was no movement.

"Come on Neal." Peter pleaded with him. They couldn't have come this far only to lose him now. "How is he?" He asked over the microphone worried what their answer might be, and his worries were justified.

"Not good…..I think we might have lost him."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter seven

"Peter I'm so sorry." Diana put her hand on Peter's shoulder as she blinked back tears. "I know how close the two of you are…..Maybe you shouldn't watch this….Maybe you better…." She tried to lead him away from the screen.

"He's not dead." Peter interrupted her as he pulled away from her. "I'm not losing him Diana, not like this." He looked back at the screen. Neal still hadn't moved. "Bring him back! Do whatever you have to just bring him back!" He shouted into the microphone.

Mitchell watched it all from behind the EMTs and smiled. Maybe the man would die and that would solve everything. If he didn't Mitchell knew what he had to do. He had to get close enough so that he could slit an artery with his knife. He figured he'd offer to help to cut away the concrete that was trapping Neal's leg and then when he was working he'd find some way to slice into Neal's upper thigh and cut the main artery without anyone seeing him. The man had obviously already lost a lot of blood and it wouldn't take long till the additional blood loss would kill him, but right now all he could do was stay in the background and hope the man would die without his intervention; it would make his life a whole lot easier.

Rodger finally managed to squeeze next to Neal and immediately put two fingers on Neal's neck and felt for a pulse.

"Pulse is very weak and slow, but he's still with us." He said to the other EMTs. "Give me a drip."

Kent, one of the other EMTs handed Rodger an IV bag filled with fluids and antibiotics. Rodger quickly found a vein in Neal's arm and started an IV drip. He then put the IV bag on a concrete ledge above Neal's head so the fluid would run easily into his arm, at least now they could get some much needed fluid into him.

"Come on buddy wake up." Rodger gently tapped Neal's face, but still he did not respond.

While Rodger checked Neal's vital signs Kent checked his side.

"We got a through and through here." He said as he gently leaned Neal forward and could see that the pole went right through Neal's side and was protruding from his back. "We need to stabilize him then cut the ends of this pole off or we're not going to be able to get him out of here."

"What about his leg?" Peter asked as he watched the screen.

Kent looked down at the large piece of concrete that imprisoned Neal's leg.

"It's hard to tell from here but his leg is probably crushed beneath that slab of concrete and has been without blood for the last few days….more than likely he'll lose it, and even if it isn't crushed we might have to take it off to get him out of here. " Kent said as he looked around at the small space they were working in.

Peter couldn't imagine the young outgoing con man losing a leg, but if it meant his leg or his life, Neal's life would always come first.

"Take it off if you have to, just bring him out alive." Peter told the EMTs.

He knew Neal would never forgive him if it came down to that, but he'd deal with Neal later. The only thing that mattered right now was saving Neal's life and if that meant losing his leg, then so be it.

"We won't be doing anything until we get him stabilized, but if we can't stabilize him he's going to be losing more than just his leg." Kent said as he felt around Neal's leg trying to determine if it was crushed under the concrete or if by some miracle his leg was in a hole and the concrete was only trapping it there.

But all the talk about Neal's leg no longer mattered when all of a sudden he opened his eyes and gasped in pain then went completely limp.

"We're losing him!" Rodger shouted as he reached over and grabbed his medical bag.

Outside Peter sucked in his breath horrified that he might have just watched his friend and "partner" die.

"Don't you do this to me Neal, don't you go and give up now, not now when we're so close to getting you out." He told Neal's image on the screen.

Rodger grabbed a large syringe out of his bag that was already filled with liquid. He jammed it into Neal's chest and pressed the plunger releasing the fluid into Neal's heart. He then began pumping on Neal's chest trying to restart his heart.

"Come on kid !...Damn it fight your way back!...You're young, you got a lot to live for….Don't you give up on us."

At first Neal felt an agonizing pain in his chest then everything went black and it seemed like he was floating above his body. He watched as the EMTs desperately tried to work on him, to bring him back. He didn't know why they were trying so hard, he felt fine. The next thing he knew he saw Kate standing in a long tunnel motioning for him to join her. He started running toward her, but then he heard Peter's voice calling to him and could see him outside the crumbled hotel begging him to come back. He hesitated, he didn't want to hurt Peter but Kate was waiting and he wanted to be with her. He stood at the edge of the tunnel looking back and forth between Peter and Kate not knowing which way he wanted to go. Finally he reached out toward Peter, he wanted to live…..but Kate suddenly appeared right next to him pulling him in her direction.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter eight

"I'm losing him!" Rodger told the other EMT. "Give me the paddles."

Kent handed his partner the paddles and Rodger quickly charged the machine.

"Stand back!" He shouted to everyone as he applied the paddles to Neal's chest and pressed the button which sent an electrical charge through his body.

Neal's upper body jumped a few inches off the ground, but his lower body was held in place by the concrete over his leg.

"Neal stay with me!" Peter shouted into the microphone. "Don't you go leaving me!"

When Rodger shocked Neal again he went into convulsions, his arm flew out to the side and pushed the robot away from him. Peter watched as the image on the monitor spun around and now was focused on the firemen behind Neal. Peter no longer had a view of his "partner".

"Neal!….What's going on? What's happening in there?...Someone talk to me…..What's happening?" Peter was frantic as he shouted into the microphone, the last view he had of Neal he looked dead.

Becker tried to regain control of the robot but it was now stuck between two rocks and couldn't move.

"Someone turn the camera back to the victim!" Becker shouted to the men inside.

One of the firemen picked up the robot and turned it around so it was once more facing Neal.

Peter could see Neal's chest rising and falling.

"Thank God." He whispered under his breath then looked over at Diana. "He's alive." He told her, the relief clearly written all over his face.

Diana put her hand on Peter's arm.

"He's young, he's strong, and if anyone can pull through this it's him."

Neal was breathing but his eyes remained closed as Rodger attached an oxygen mask over his face.

"We need to get him out of here as soon as we can." Rodger told the firemen. "The longer he's trapped the more chance he'll go into shock and if that happens we could easily lose him again. We can't remove the pipe without taking the chance that he'll bleed to death before we can get him out of here, so we'll need to cut off the ends of the pipe to make it easier to move him. I'm going to hold it as steady as I can and I'll need someone to cut off the pipe and leave about four inches on each side."

"I'll do it." One of the firemen stepped forward holding a pipe cutter.

"Okay, but I need to give him something for the pain before we get started." Rodger knew that even moving the pipe slightly while the firemen cut off the ends could cause Neal agonizing pain. He reached into his medical bag and pulled out a syringe. He uncapped it then stuck it in Neal's arm.

"This will help a little with the pain." He told Neal. He knew it would be better to put him out completely but doing that in his weaken condition could lead to his death. He waited a few minutes for the medication to take affect then grabbed the pipe that was sticking out of Neal's back. He grabbed it as close as he could to Neal's body allowing the firemen plenty of room to work. "This is going to hurt." He told Neal, he wasn't about to lie to him now. He then nodded to the fireman.

The fireman crawled forward and positioned the pipe cutting tool four inches from Neal's back. Then when the EMT nodded again he pinched the tool shut and successfully cut the pipe off. Neal threw back his head in agony and squeezed his eyes shut.

Peter watched from outside as a tiny tear ran down Neal's face and left its track in his dust covered cheek. The fireman then cut the pipe sticking out of the front of Neal. This time Neal cried out when even the slightest movement of the pipe caused a sharp pain to shoot through his entire body.

"Oh God." Neal moaned. He then opened his eyes and looked at Rodger. "No more….please….just let me go….. just let me die." Neal was in a world of pain and right now he just wanted to die and get it over with.

Peter could hear Neal giving up, but he wasn't about to let him.

"Neal you're almost home free and I don't want to hear any of this giving up crap coming from you. The Neal Caffrey I know wouldn't give up, he'd fight. He'd fight till he couldn't fight anymore. We're getting you out of there and we're going to be a team again."

Neal looked into the camera, his only connection to Peter, and Peter could see his blue eyes glistening with tears. He could tell the young con man was exhausted.

"I'm sorry Peter….I can't do this anymore….I can't….."

"Yes you can, and you will!" Peter interrupted him. "We're getting you out of there soon and all you have to do is hang in there and let them do the work. You're my partner Neal and I'm not letting you die in there."

"Okay….okay I'll try…." Neal said as he leaned back against the step, he didn't want to let Peter down but he didn't know if he could hold on much longer. The pain was agonizing, even with the medication, and the only way he knew to be free of it was to give up and die.

Rodger leaned down next to Neal.

"We're going to free your leg." Rodger hoped that was true. He hoped they'd be freeing Neal's leg and not amputating it. If it came down to amputation he knew he'd have to put Neal out and in the condition he was in he hoped he wouldn't have to.

Rodger looked over at the firemen.

"I need someone in here who can cut through the cement around his leg. … Who has ever worked a jack-hammer?"

Mitchell quickly volunteered before anyone else could. He grabbed a jack hammer from the equipment the firemen had brought in with them and crawled toward Neal and the EMTs. If the man wasn't going to die on his own, he'd see to it that he did.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter nine

Mitchell crawled closer and closer to Neal. He was lucky, he had worked on construction jobs before when he was younger and knew how to use a jack hammer. Now all he had to do is work slowly and when no one was looking reach under the concrete and cut the man's artery. The man was obviously already in a lot of pain and even if he cried out no one would think anything of it. More than likely they would think he had been bleeding all along but the weight of the concrete had stemmed the flow of blood, but by releasing the pressure the blood had flowed freely and the guy had simply bled to death. It would be no one's fault….it just happened. The man would be dead and there would be no way to connect him to the job. He could collect the money from Clinton for destroying the property and no one would be the wiser he thought to himself as he inched closer.

**Outside**

Peter felt like he could finally relax a little after all the days of worrying. Neal was in good hands and would probably be coming out in the next few hours. Neal had gone through Hell and would be getting that vacation he was always talking about. Peter would see to it. He had kept in contact with his wife throughout the long days and she had even come down to the site to be with him through the long ordeal even though he told her not to because the area was still considered dangerous. She had insisted and when El insisted there was no stopping her. She had gone home a few hours ago and told him to call her as soon as he knew something new. Peter pulled out his phone and she answered on the first ring.

"Hi honey." She said when she saw who the call was coming from. "How are you?" She had been worried about him getting little if any sleep, last time she saw him he looked completely wiped out.

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Hanging in there…..How's Neal?"

"They're still trying to get him out, but at least they're finally in there working on him. He could be out sometime today."

"Oh thank God….How is he Peter?"

"We almost lost him once, but they brought him back. It's still touch and go but I think he's going to make it."

**Inside**

Mitchell pulled his helmet as far down over his face as he could, if Neal recognized him as the man he saw in the building he'd be screwed. He turned his back to Neal and turned on the jack-hammer.

Neal briefly caught a glimpse of Mitchell before he turned his back to him and something in his mind clicked, but between the drugs for the pain and being totally exhausted he couldn't think clearly. Maybe he had just thought he looked familiar.

Mitchell was working for about half an hour when he finally managed to break through some of the concrete around Neal's leg, it was then he saw the anklet.

"What the hell?" He thought to himself. This guy was a criminal; maybe he was in the hotel to rob it and was no threat to him. Honor among thieves as the saying goes, but he couldn't be sure he'd keep his mouth shut. The man would have to die regardless of who or what he was. Now all he had to do was get close enough so that he could reach the man's upper thigh then slice his main artery, the man would bleed out in less than a minute. No one, including this man, was going to keep him from collecting the money Clinton had promised him.

Mitchell worked slowly and carefully, he knew he was being watched and had to make it look good. Finally he had removed enough of the concrete that he could now touch Neal's leg, it was only a matter of time before he could remove enough of it to reach Neal's upper thigh. Then all he had to do was remove his knife and with one quick slit end the man's life.

"Oh God." Neal moaned when he felt his injured leg move under the man's hand.

"You okay buddy?" Rodger asked.

"My leg….it hurts." Neal said softly as he winced in pain.

"That's actually a good sign; it shows that there is still feeling in it." Rodger had been worried that Neal's leg might have been severed or crushed, which could have meant all feeling in it was gone and the leg was actually already dead. If that had happened it would have meant the man would have definitely lost his leg, but since there was still feeling in it, and if they could get him to the hospital in time, there was hope it could be saved.

Just a few more inches Mitchell thought. So far everything had gone the way he planned. He had left enough concrete around Neal that the firemen and medics couldn't see what was happening beneath it. A few more minutes and the man would be dead and he'd be home free.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter ten

**Outside**

As Peter watched Neal's rescue on the computer screen he finally allowed himself to relax a little, Neal was in good hands and it was only a matter of time before he was out of the building and on his way to a hopefully full recovery.

He still couldn't believe how close he had grown to the young con man. He often thought of Neal as a younger brother or even a son he never had. Why they had developed a close relationship was anyone's guess, it had just happened. He knew Neal was one of the best white collar con artists out there and he should be an enemy, but there was something so kind and vulnerable about the young man that you just couldn't help but like him. Neal had somehow made his work more enjoyable, not that he didn't already love his job, but with Neal working by his side it wasn't just a job anymore, it was actually fun. Peter reached out and touched the screen, Neal was going to be alright, he had to be. He couldn't imagine working without him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone, it was Jones.

"What do you got?"

"We got a name and a face."

"Send it to me."

"It's on its way."

A few seconds later a picture, name, and description of the man appeared on Peter's phone. The picture looked exactly like the man Neal had described, dark hair, acne scars… The man, Ryan Mitchell, was known to know his way around explosives. He had been arrested years earlier for blowing up a liquor store so that the owner could collect insurance and had spent three years in prison for it.

Peter studied the picture, why did the man look familiar? Suddenly he felt a cold chill shoot through his body….he had seen the man before, and it had been recent. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to think, where had he seen him and when…and then it came to him. It was today. He looked around the area studying the faces of the crowds that had gathered to watch the aftermath of the explosion. Mitchell might be standing somewhere in the crowd knowing that a man was trapped in the building and waiting to see the outcome of the rescue. He must know that Neal was alive and had seen him in the building earlier. Was he waiting hoping that Neal would die, or was he going to make sure Neal died? Peter scanned the crowd again, he had to find him. Once Neal was free from the building he would put him in protective custody and have the police guard his hospital room until Mitchell was found. There was no way in hell he was going to let the man hurt Neal again. Peter forwarded the information to the local police and told them to keep a lookout for Mitchell whom he thought might still be in the area. He secretly hoped that when the man saw the huge police presence he had gotten scared and left. That's probably what happened Peter thought as he once more looked at the faces standing around watching the rescue and didn't see him. Once Neal was free he would probably spend a few days in the hospital, or maybe even longer depending on his injuries. Peter would make sure they'd stake out his room and if Mitchell did appear they would arrest him.

**Inside the building**

Between the drugs given for the pain and his exhaustion Neal was having a hard time staying awake. He knew now that they had reached him, and if everything went okay, he should be free soon. But for some reason the little hairs on the back of his neck told him something was wrong, but what? Maybe the drugs were making him paranoid he thought. He glanced over at the camera, was Peter still outside waiting for him like he had promised? Peter had told him he wouldn't leave him and if he knew Peter he knew he'd keep that promise. He had to thank him; he knew all this waiting would be hard on him, and if he didn't make it he needed Peter to know he appreciated the fact that he didn't leave him. Neal looked over at the EMT.

"Can I …Can I borrow your phone?" Neal asked weakly. He wanted to talk to Peter but not over the robot's speaker, he wanted to talk to him privately.

"Sure." Rodger fished in his pocket and came out with his cell phone. "I'll dial it for you."

Neal gave him Peter's number then reached over and took the phone.

"Yeah." Peter didn't recognize the number and had no idea who might be calling.

"Peter?" Neal's voice was weak but Peter had never heard anything more beautiful.

"Neal!"

"Peter I just want to….to thank you for….staying with me. I….I appreciate it." Neal managed to get out between painful breaths.

Peter smiled.

"Where else would I be?"

"Sorry….to ruin…your day."

"You didn't ruin it Neal….it was the jerk who blew up the building, not you."

Suddenly the man's face flashed in Neal's mind.

"Did you …did you get him?"

"No, not yet, but we have a name and a picture now….Don't worry, we'll track him down."

It was then the man working to free his leg looked up into Neal's face and Neal's eyes widened in recognition….It was the man he had seen leaving the building.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter eleven

**Inside**

When Neal felt the man touch his leg his heart started pounding. What was the man planning he wondered? It couldn't be anything good. Did he have a gun…or maybe a knife? He knew if the man had a gun there was a possibility of a lot of people getting hurt, but if it was a knife, maybe he could warn the people around him and they could get to him before he did anything. But could he take that chance? He didn't want to die but he knew if he shouted a warning more than he could die. How could he possibly alert Peter to the fact that the bomber was right in front of him? Finally he said.

"I know you've been here the whole time… and I just want to thank you again…for hanging in there with me. … I feel like you're right here with me Charlie. …right next to me." He hoped Peter would catch the wrong name and figure something wasn't right. He also hoped the man didn't notice the name change, but if he did he might assume the drugs were making Neal not think clearly. He didn't know how else to alert Peter without the man getting suspicious and without getting anyone else hurt.

**Outside**

Charlie? He's just confused Peter figured as he kept scanning the crowd. Where the hell are you? He thought to himself when he didn't see Mitchell. Maybe he had already left; maybe he assumed Neal would die before they could free him. Then he saw some commotion over by one of the fire trucks and walked over.

"What's wrong?" He asked one of the men as he flashed his badge.

"Hank can't find his jacket or helmet." The man explained.

"I know it was here when I got here." Hank continued looking through the other hanging jackets. "I was off duty when I got the call to report. They brought my stuff from the fire house but we were told to wait till the building was a little more secure before going in. I saw my jacket hanging here but figured I'd wait till we actually entered the building….Now it's gone."

Peter could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Was this the way Mitchell was getting to Neal? He took a deep breath trying to calm himself down. Was Mitchell disguised as a fireman and already in the building? Then he remembered what Neal had said. _"You're right here with me Charlie, right next to me."_

"Neal." Peter put the phone up to his ear and whispered. "He's there isn't he?"

"Yeah." Neal breathed a sigh of relief. Peter knew. He might not get to him in time to save him, but at least he knew.

**Inside**

Neal knew the man was planning something, but what? He once more felt the man touch his leg.

"Can we just wait a little bit? …Just a little bit…" Neal quickly said trying to stall.

"You okay buddy?" Rodger asked.

"Yeah….I just need a little time to breathe." Neal said as he put his head back pretending he was trying to catch his breath.

"Okay." Rodger looked over at Mitchell. "Hold off for awhile."

"But we only need a little more time and he'll be free." Mitchell wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. He couldn't take the chance that something would go wrong.

"Just a few minutes." Rodger said as he checked Neal's vitals. Neal's heart seemed to be racing but that could be his reaction to the drugs he was given and the stress of the situation. "Just give him time to rest a little."

Mitchell was disappointed. He wanted to slice Neal's artery, then while the paramedics were trying to save him and everyone's attention was on Neal, he could slip quietly out of the building. He wanted it over with.

**Outside**

Peter quickly informed the other agents and the police that the man who brought down the building was inside. They surrounded the building giving the man little chance of escape.

One of the officers in charge walked over to Peter.

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm going in."

"I'll get some backup to go in with you."

"No." Peter stopped the man. "If he sees a bunch of people coming toward him he might panic. A lot of people could get hurt."

Peter removed his jacket and grabbed one of the firemen's jackets. Hopefully he'd blend in with the others already in the building.

"Take this." One of the firemen handed Peter a helmet. "The building is unstable and pieces are coming down all the time. Keep your eyes open."

Peter nodded and headed toward the building. He could only hope that Mitchell hadn't already finished the job.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

I want to thank everyone for their reviews just in case I can't thank each of you personally. I really appreciated them. I had to rush this ending because I won't be near a computer for awhile after today, hope its okay. Thanks again for taking the time to read the story, hope you liked it.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Chapter twelve

**Inside the building**

Mitchell looked back at Rodger, he wanted it over with.

"We got to get this man out of here; we can't delay it any longer."

"He's my patient; I'll say when we move him."

"But this whole place could come down!" Mitchell was getting anxious, all he wanted to do was get it over with and get out of there.

"We're all volunteers in here. If you can't handle it then get out and I'll have someone else take over."

Mitchell looked down at Neal and he could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong. Was the man just nervous or was he actually scared of him? Did he recognize him?

"I'm just going to remove a little more of the concrete around his leg." Mitchell told Rodger. "I won't move him, I'll just get him ready to be moved." He explained.

"Okay, but I don't want him moved until I say so."

Mitchell put up his hand to show that he understood. It was now or never. If he could just pretend to be removing some of the loose concrete he might be able to slip his hand in and cut an artery. It would be over in a matter of seconds.

**Outside**

Peter reached the opening to the building that the firefighters had disappeared into and carefully made his way inside. Once inside he swallowed hard, the entire building looked unsteady. Everything in him told him to leave but there was no way he was leaving with Neal in danger. He carefully made his way toward the voices and lights that he could see below. He silently prayed that Neal was still alive and that the man hadn't already finished what he intended to do.

**Below**

Neal's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the man once more start to remove pieces of concrete. The only thing that calmed him a little was the fact that Peter knew the man was in the building and probably already had it surrounded. There was little chance the man would escape. Neal wondered how he could stop him without getting anyone else hurt. What was he planning to do…shoot him …stab him, he had no idea. He looked up at Rodger.

"Please just a little more time….Just let me catch my breath…Please make him stop...It hurts…"

"We're not going to move you till you're ready." Rodger could tell Neal was starting to get anxious and it was causing his vital signs to go crazy. "He's just getting rid of some of these chunks of concrete. It'll make it easier to get you out of here when you're ready."

Mitchell kept removing the concrete, a small smile on his face. This was going to be easier than he thought. All he had to do now was take his knife and make a quick deep cut on the trapped man's leg. Cut an artery and he'd bleed out in no time. He secretly removed the blade from his jacket and moved it toward Neal's thigh. Just one quick cut and he'd be home free.

Neal could feel the man slice a hole in his pants then felt the cold of the blade against his injured leg, he swallowed hard. How could he help himself without getting anyone else hurt? Maybe this was it; maybe it would be all over in a few seconds.

Mitchell glanced up into Neil's eyes and couldn't help but smile. He had won. The man would be dead soon and he'd be out of there and home free. It was then he saw Neal smile back at him. What the hell was he smiling at Mitchell wondered? Must be delirious he thought….. But then he felt the cold barrel of a gun against the back of his neck and froze.

"Hi Peter." Neal shifted his gaze from Mitchell to Peter who stood behind the man his gun pressed against the back of his head.

"FBI….Move your hand away from him." Peter said through clenched teeth. When Mitchell hesitated he pressed the gun even harder into his neck. "Do it now!" Peter used his other hand to flash his badge at the firemen and paramedics.

"What's going on here?" Rodger asked.

"This is the man who brought down the building." Peter told him and the others. He then focused on Mitchell. "Get up and keep your hands in the air." Peter hoped Mitchell would give up without a fight. If he tried something, and Peter had to use his gun, he knew the sound from the gun shot could bring down more of the building.

Mitchell knew he was screwed. If the FBI was already involved then the building was more than likely surrounded. Right now they only had him on causing an explosion, if he killed the man he'd be charged with murder. He slowly backed out of the hole and stood with his hands up, his back to Peter. Peter reached up and grabbed his arm then quickly twisted it behind him and put a handcuff on, then grabbed the other and did the same. Once the man was secure he led him out of the building and handed him over to the cops. After Mitchell was placed in the police car Peter went back into the building, back to Neal.

Neal smiled up at him, thankful that the man had been captured and no one had been hurt in the process.

"I'm going to owe you one."

Peter smiled back at him, relieved that the whole ordeal was almost over.

"How are you doing?" Peter asked the smile dropping from his face, he knew they still weren't out of the woods yet. Neal was still trapped and not where he needed to be, the hospital.

"Good… now that you're here." Neal meant it. The agony he had been in seemed to ease with the presence of his friend and partner.

**A short time later**

The rest of the concrete was carefully removed from around Neal and he was now free. The EMTs gently lifted him out of the hole and were glad to see that he could move his leg and that it didn't seem to be damaged too badly.

"Is he going to be okay?" Peter asked when the paramedics were done examining Neal.

"I think your boy lucked out." Rodger told him. "It looks like his leg must have fallen through a hole and the concrete was holding it in place. I don't even think it's broken, just badly bruised."

"What about the pipe?" Peter winced in sympathy as he looked at the pipe that was still in Neal's side.

"We won't be able to tell till we get him to the hospital and get some xrays, but I'm thinking he's lucky. If that pipe would have gone in a few inches closer to his stomach that might not be the case."

Once Neil was stabilized and placed on a litter Peter leaned over him.

"We'll talk about the vacation you've been asking for once you're up and around."

Neal smiled.

"Thanks Peter…Thanks for staying with me…I don't think I …I don't think I would have made it without you."

"Like I said before….Where else would I be?" Peter meant every word. With Neal's life in danger he would have dropped everything to be with him. He didn't even want to think of what his life would be like without the con man. He never thought it would be possible but he had grown extremely fond of Neal and now couldn't even picture life without him. Their partnership had developed into a strong friendship and he now considered Neal part of his family. He walked next to Neal as he was taken out of the building and placed in an ambulance. He hopped in next to him and finally allowed himself to relax knowing his "partner" was finally safe.

**A week later**

After a week in the hospital Neal was finally released. His injuries healed without any problems and Peter stayed true to his word … Neal finally got the vacation he had always wanted.

The End


End file.
